{"id":1063428,"date":"2013-01-27T07:54:31","date_gmt":"2013-01-27T07:54:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.longevitymedicine.tv\/reaction-to-iom-california-stem-cell-directors-approve-plan-on-conflicts-of-interest-and-more\/"},"modified":"2024-08-17T20:29:28","modified_gmt":"2024-08-18T00:29:28","slug":"reaction-to-iom-california-stem-cell-directors-approve-plan-on-conflicts-of-interest-and-more-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/stem-cell-therapy\/reaction-to-iom-california-stem-cell-directors-approve-plan-on-conflicts-of-interest-and-more-2.php","title":{"rendered":"Reaction to IOM: California Stem Cell Directors Approve Plan on Conflicts of Interest and More"},"content":{"rendered":"

Directors of the $3 billion California
stem cell agency today approved a far-reaching plan aimed at resolving long-standing
conflict of interest issues involving the agency's governing board
and also at helping to maintain credibility with the public.<\/p>

<\/div>
<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Jonathan Thomas
CIRM photo<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
The framework of the proposal <\/a>by CIRM<\/b>
Chairman J.T. Thomas<\/b> moved forward on a 23-0 vote with one
abstention. He laid out the plan in response to sweeping recommendations<\/a> from a blue-ribbon study by the Institute of Medicine. Details will be worked out and come back to the board in March. <\/div>
<\/div>
Acknowledging that many board members
were not pleased with the IOM criticism of the agency, Thomas said, <\/div>

“This is one of those times that we must move forward and compromise.” <\/p><\/blockquote>

He
said issues such conflicts of interest have “stolen focus” from
the good scientific work that the agency has funded.<\/div>
<\/div>
Thomas was reacting to the $700,000 IOM
study commissioned by CIRM governing board. The IOM recommendations
called for removing conflict
of interest problems, cleaning up a troubling dual-executive arrangement
and fundamentally changing the nature of the governing board. The IOM proposals would strip the board of its ability to approve individual grants,
greatly strengthen the role of the agency's president, significantly
alter the role of patient advocates on the governing board and engage
the biotech industry more vigorously.<\/div>
<\/div>
Thomas' plan, which would be put in
place for up to a one-year trial period, would not do all that the
IOM wanted, but would move strongly in that direction.<\/div>
<\/div>
State Controller John Chiang<\/b>, chairman
of the only state entity with financial oversight over CIRM, endorsed
most of the proposal, said deputy controller Ruth Holton-Hodson<\/b>. She
told CIRM directors that Thomas' plan was thoughtful and positive,
although Chiang did not support continued involvement of the chairman
in day-to-day operations.<\/div>
<\/div>
The Thomas plan, which would not require legislative approval, would:<\/div>
<\/div>